Law students Feryel Beyrakdar and Meghan Daniels, have been selected to represent Kent in the regional heats of a national Client Interviewing competition.
Feryel and Meghan, both final-year Law LLB students, secured their place after winning a competition at Kent Law School as part of their studies in the extra-curricular Client Interviewing module.
Final year Politics and Law student Moonira Mamoon and final-year Law LLB student Margaryta Sirakova, were runners up.
Feryel and Meghan will go on to compete in the regional heats, hosted by Kent, on Wednesday 10 February against teams from UCL, City University and the University of Greenwich.
The Client Interviewing Competition for England and Wales tests law students on their interviewing and counselling skills and centres on a simulated law office interview. Law students work in teams of two to interview and advise a “client”. Their management of the interview is judged according to criteria which include: establishing a good working relationship with the client; recognising and handling the legal problem; ethical and personal issues; including costs; and finally offering appropriate advice.
The competition requires students not merely to know the law relating to a particular subject matter, but also to employ effective interviewing techniques and be aware of a variety of considerations which they might not otherwise appreciate as law students. A post-interview reflection is an integral part of the competition which allows the students to explain their techniques, discuss the law and their projected strategies and provides an opportunity for self-criticism.
The Law School’s Client Interviewing module is one of several ways that students at Kent can gain practical legal skills. They can also choose from two non-credited Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) modules in Mediation and/or Negotiation. Other options include getting involved with the work of Kent Law Clinic, mooting and participation in mock trials.